Ventura County Reconstruction

Two years after the Northridge earthquake shook Southern California, educators throughout Ventura County are still working to make schools safe, repairing cracks and replacing hanging lighting. And as they prepare spending plans for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the districts that can afford it are also assigning top priority to maintenance that has been long deferred, including replacing roofs, paint and air conditioners. Wiring for computers gets top billing as well.

Two years after the Northridge earthquake shook Southern California, educators throughout Ventura County are still working to make schools safe, repairing cracks and replacing hanging lighting. And as they prepare spending plans for the fiscal year that begins July 1, the districts that can afford it are also assigning top priority to maintenance that has been long deferred, including replacing roofs, paint and air conditioners. Wiring for computers gets top billing as well.

The 6.7-magnitude shock struck Ventura County's fault-line neighborhoods deeper and harder than anyone first thought. Residents of Simi Valley, Fillmore, Piru and Thousand Oaks wanted to believe they could restore normalcy to their homes, businesses and lives within six months, maybe 12. But a year later, many Ventura County residents are still finding damage and still suffering deep psychological wounds from a catastrophe they thought they had left behind.

The 6.7-magnitude shock struck Ventura County's fault-line neighborhoods deeper and harder than anyone first thought. Residents of Simi Valley, Fillmore, Piru and Thousand Oaks wanted to believe they could restore normalcy to their homes, businesses and lives within six months, maybe 12. But a year later, many Ventura County residents are still finding damage and still suffering deep psychological wounds from a catastrophe they thought they had left behind.

Despite the destruction that hit much of Ventura County as a result of last week's earthquake and its aftershocks, the quake's long-range financial impact on the county should be positive, in the view of Cal Lutheran University economics professor Jamshid Damooei. Thousands of jobs will be created to repair the damage to homes, industrial plants, stores and public facilities, predicts Damooei, an expert on the county's economy.

Disaster relief offices opened in Simi Valley and Fillmore on Thursday, and hundreds of earthquake victims began applying for tens of millions of dollars in government aid as Ventura County started to rebuild from its most costly disaster in history. Staggering from $1 billion in damage countywide, earthquake victims showed up at daybreak for a 1 p.m. opening of the Simi Valley center to apply for loans and grants to repair or replace crumpled homes and businesses.

Despite the destruction that hit much of Ventura County as a result of last week's earthquake and its aftershocks, the quake's long-range financial impact on the county should be positive, in the view of Cal Lutheran University economics professor Jamshid Damooei. Thousands of jobs will be created to repair the damage to homes, industrial plants, stores and public facilities, predicts Damooei, an expert on the county's economy.

Disaster relief offices opened in Simi Valley and Fillmore on Thursday, and hundreds of earthquake victims began applying for tens of millions of dollars in government aid as Ventura County started to rebuild from its most costly disaster in history. Staggering from $1 billion in damage countywide, earthquake victims showed up at daybreak for a 1 p.m. opening of the Simi Valley center to apply for loans and grants to repair or replace crumpled homes and businesses.